Spinning frame



1936- J. L. TRUSLOW 2,027,212

SPINNING FRAME Filed May 23, 1931 l0 INVENTOR. JZwzzs A. 77Q0$L0W ATTORNEYS.

Patented Jan. 7, 1936 SPINNING FRAIHE James L. Truslow, Whitinsvilic, Mass., assignor to Whitin Machine Works, Whitinsville, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application May 28, 1931, Serial No. 540,530

12 Claims.

10 cradle. The two side walls of this cradle carry the cross-rod, around which the front end of the apron runs, making it necessary to remove such rod from the cradle in order .to separate the apron from it, thus complicating the process of lifting off the apron for inspection and cleaning.

This invention improves and simplifies top apron mountings for such and similar machines making the machine cleaner in operation and permitting the top apron to be removed and replaced with minimum effort for inspecting and cleaning the parts below. It provides also superior supporting means for the front ends of the aprons, insuring a more uniform action thereof upon the roving, with consequent improvement in the uniformity of the product-yarn. These improved results are accomplished, in part, by the use of simple bar-type means for carrying the front ends of the aprons and more especially by the use of a top apron bar supported so that one end is free and constitutes a finger to support the front end of the top apron and on which such apron travels or by which it is controlled and guided, thereby affording a support from which the apron is easily separated, as by slipping it sideways off the end of the finger. This substitution of a finger-type apron support in the place of the former cross-member or members attached at both ends to a cradle or other supporting means is applicable to various forms of longdraft spinning frames and in different ways, as will become apparent further on, but is specially useful in cases where the top apron coacts with a complementary bottom apron, which is its preferred relation now about to be described in detail. The invention also involves improved means for guiding the top apron so as to retain it in true runningvalinement with its roll and in proper position on its front bar or so as to keep it from. running off the end of its supporting finger.

In the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 is a vertical section of a set of drafting rolls in conventional relation exemplifying the principle of the invention.

Fig. 2, a plan thereof partly in section.

Fig. 3, an elevation from line II[Il'I of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4, a section on line IV--IV of Fig. 1.

The lower rolls of the set are formed as usual on driven shafts journalled in the roll stands I and extending continuously for the length of the 10 spinning frame. They may comprise any suitable number and grouping, but are here shown as composed of back, intermediate and front rolls, marked 2, 3 and 4 respectively. The corresponding top rolls, marked 6, 'l and 8, respec- 5 tively, are held as usual in adjustable cap-bars 5 and in appropriate pressure contact with their respective bottom rolls, though the weighting mechanism for this purpose has been omitted for clearness; it may be as customary. It will be 20 understood that the successive pairs of rolls from back to front are driven at successively higher surface velocities as customary, and that the selection of their speed ratios may be as desired, forming no part of this invention. The roving 5 is supplied through the trumpet guide carried as usual on the traverse bar 9.

In this preferred form of the invention the top and bottom intermediate rolls are both provided with endless aprons of which the bottom 0 apron Ill encircles the bottom roll 3, being driven thereby, and at its forward end encircles also, and. travels on, the bottom apron guide bar II, which latter is secured by screws I2 at each end, to two adjacent roll stands. Only one end of such bar is 35 shown so secured in the drawing, but it will be understood that in the present case it is fastened at both ends as stated, and that it is a rigid member capable of removal without difliculty when that becomes necessary. The cross-section of 40 this bar is oblong and its top face is smooth and fiat and lies in a plane tangent to the roll 3 and its rounded front edge is smooth so as to provide a proper surface over which the apron l0 may travel without need of any rolling element to 45 reduce friction. This oblong shape of apron bar is superior to the slender circular-sectional cross rods heretofore used, in that stray cotton fibres have less tendency to become wound around it and it therefore keeps cleaner.

The corresponding top apron l9 encircles its top roll I, being guided at its front or convergent end by the finger above referred to. marked M. This finger, as shown more clearly. in Figure 3, is constituted of one of the free ends of, a bar of similar oblong section to theshottom bar II and which is secured at its middle to said bar' by a screw and clip it, being offset from it so that each unsupported or free end, or finger, is parallel to the bottom guide bar and to the axis of the rolls, and spaced from the bottom bar by a uniform distance corresponding to the thickness of I the two aprons or'so as to bring them together with an appropriatepressure as desired. The rounded front edge and bottom face of the finger are smooth and since the finger has the same section as thebottom bar it has the same advantage as to cleanliness. The attachment of the apron finger directly to the bottom apron bar, constitutes the preferred form of mounting because this lends itself to easy adjustment of the spacing between the two bars, as by inserting or removing shims or washers in the finger fastening l5 and the use of a single bar member with its ends forming two adjacent fingers is preferred, not alone for economy, but because it brings the finger attachment means to a position between adjacent rovings where it is most easily accessible and because a single fastening thus serves for two fingers.

The top apron is kept from running off the free end of its finger, and in its proper position thereon by guard means independent of the finger and associated with its top roll. This roll is sleeve-journalled on a cylindrical, non-rotating axle l6 and the guard means referred to are composed of cheek plates I! also sleeved on the axle but pinned or otherwise fixed thereto as indicated at opposite ends of the roll, sothat they serve the double purpose of preventing end- .wise displacement of the roll on its axle, and of holding the apron to its proper course, but without exposing any moving surface which, because of wet lubricant thereon, will tend to collect stray fibres and dust. made of wood impregnated with dry lubricant so that it runs freely without oiling, thus further promoting cleanliness. Each axle, for convenience, supports two top rolls and the hubs of the guard cheeks at the ends of theaxle are slabbed to slide into and fit the notches in the cap bars, thus keeping the axle from rotating.

It will be understood that the operation follows standard practice. The roving from the trumpet guide is received by the back rolls and passed therethrough to the aprons which carry it close into the bite of the front rolls permitting the usual slip-draft to occur between the two and asheretofore. When it is desired to remove the top apron, that is accomplished by lifting the top roll axle in its slots in the cap bar, and slipping the apron over the guard check at the end of the axle, the circumference of which is purposely made less than the inside circumference of the apron, and then slipping the apron sideways ofi' the end of the finger. These simple operations and the cleanliness and conveniences incident to the construction described constitute the new results of this invention, the principles whereof are generally and specifically pointed out in the following claims, without limitation however to the particular construction illustrated in the drawing except as therein specified.

I claim:

1. In a spinning frame, a set of drafting rolls Preferably, the top roller is anemia.

including a top roll, an apron finger permanentlylocated in front of and parallel to said top roll, said finger being supported at one end on a rigid part of the machine which is independent of said drafting rolls, the other end being unsupported. and an endless apron engaged with said roll and finger and removable from said finger by slipping it sideways from under said unsupported end.

2. In a spinning frame, a set of drafting rolls including a top roll, an endless apron thereon, 0 supporting means for said apron consisting of a finger with its fixed end supported on the machine framing independently of said'drafting rolls and adapted to receive the apron over its free end, and apron guard means to keep the 15 apron on the finger.

3. In a spinning frame, a set of drafting rolls including a bottom roll and a top roll thereon, an endless apron on each roll, an apron bar for the bottom apron supported on the machine in- 20 dependently of said apron and an apron finger carried on said bar for the top apron, said finger having one end normally free and unsupported to permit sideways removal of the top apron therefrom.

4. In a spinning frame, top and bottom rolls, endless aprons thereon, a support for the bottom apron, a support in the form of a finger for the top apron parallel and in spaced relation to-the bottom apron support, and means including a 30 screw for varying the spacing between said top apron finger and said bottom apron support.

5. In a spinning frame, a roll stand, a bottom drafting roll thereon, a top roll on the bottom roll having an endless apron, a member fixed on 35 the roll stand independent of said apron in front of said top roll and a finger fixed on said member for guiding said apron, the latter being removable sideways from under said fixed finger.

6. In a spinning frame, a roll stand, a set of drafting rolls including a bottom roll 'with a top roll removably supported thereon and driven thereby, an endless apron on each roll, an apron bar removably fixed to the roll stand and encircled by the bottom apron, an apron finger carried by said bar and encircled by the top apron, and guard means for said top roll removable therewith and normally serving to keep the top apron from running off the free end of the finger.

'7. In a spinning frame, a set of drafting rolls including a top roll, an endless apron on said roll, means in the nature of a flange associated with said roll for retaining the apron thereon, and a member over which the front of the apron travels, 5 saidmeans having a circumference less than the inside circumference of said apron and adapting the latter to be removed by slipping it sidewise over said means.

8. In a spinning frame, a cap bar, a non-rotary axle held thereby, a set of drafting rolls including a top roll on the axle, an endless apron on the top roll, guard cheeks fixed on the axle at the ends of said top roll serving to retain said roll and apron against sidewise displacement and a finger member fixed in front of the top roll and independently thereof for supporting the front end of said apron, the guard cheek at one end of the, axle having a circumference less than the apron circumference.

9. In a spinning frame, a cap bar, a set of drafting ro'lls including a top 1011, a non-rotary axle for said roll movably held in the cap bar, an endless apron on said roll and means fixed on said axle for retaining roll and apron from sidewise displacement. v

10. In a spinning frame, a cap bar, a top roll axle removably and non-rotatably held thereby, a wooden top roll sleeved on the axle, an endless apron on the top roll, guard cheeks fixed to the axle at the ends of the roll to retain both the apron and roll againstsidewise displacement and a member fixed in front of the top roll supporting the front end of said apron and on which it travels. I

11. In a spinning frame the combination with the roll stand having lower draft roll shafts journalled thereon, of endless apronson one of said shafts and an apron bar supported on said stands to carry the front ends of saidaprons, oi! top rolls on said roll shaft having complementary aprons and a member secured by its middle part on said apron bar with its free ends forming fingers to support the front ends of adjacent top aprons.

12. In a spinning frame a cap-bar, a set of drafting rolls including an axle with two top rolls thereon held by the cap bar, endless aprons on the respective rolls of said axle and a doubleended member secured by its middle part to a fixed support with each free end disposed in front of one of said rolls forming a finger to guide the apron thereof.

JAMES L. TRUSLOW. 

